Dan Pink is offering an outrageous deal for folks who pre-order his new book! Here's what you get:

A free 20-page PDF workbook, based on To Sell is Human, giving you a two-week plan to get better at selling and a head start on those who won’t have the book until January.

A free New Year’s Day webinar – with an exclusive look at the ideas, people, and publications I’ll be watching in 2013 and a chance to ask me questions. (We did this for the launch of Johnny Bunko a few years ago – and it was one of the best-received events I’ve ever done.)

A free customized Field Notes memo book – my favorite notebook of all time, printed in a (very) limited edition batch commemorating publication of the book. Check out the sample above.

A free To Sell is Human bookplate, signed and numbered, to slap inside your book.

A free audio download of a one-hour special edition of Office Hours (which won’t be available anywhere else) featuring exclusive interviews with Robert Cialdini, author of the classic book, Influence, and Adam Grant, the Wharton professor whose not-yet-published study is one of the biggest pieces of news in To Sell is Human.

Go to this link. Towards the end of Dan's article it says: What You Need to do. Follow these directions.

Many people only need hear Dan's name mentioned along with new book and it's fore gone conclusion. Bought. For others, here's what To Sell Is Human is about. I can feel Dan's new book will mesh well with the Standing Out in a Sea of Samenss culture.

In order to stand out, we need to go out and talk to people. While exploring careers of interest and enhancing pathways chosen, we need to both learn and articulate our position in the Universe.

I actually pre-ordered my book on Aug 7. All this free stuff is like just icing on the cake. I cannot wait to get my hands on Dan's new book, not to mention the field notes and workbook.

Note: I am part of a ninety-six member team whose mission it is to help promote Dan's book. Although I purchased (pre-order) a copy of the book, I also have been given a reviewer's galley copy.

The Law of Inversion is the practice of inverting a lesson and looking at it from a different perspective. Here's an example.

My friend Denny recently turned me on to Simon Sinek. Simon teaches people how great leaders inspire action. I am burnt beyond crisp on leadership and management. Too much study on topics that were paramount to my day job for too many years. But Denny is a wise cat and so I watched a Simon TED talk on the subject. Ouch! I nearly let a narrow focus rob me of an invaluable lesson. Instead of watching this talk from the perspective of a leader trying to hone his corporate skills, I watched it and pretended that I was a young adult with hair trying to stand out from his peers.

Try this yourself. Deep-six the stodgy-gray-suited-mindless-nincompoop and pretend you're a young adult who wants to give herself an edge, an opportunity to stand out from an endless sea of peers clamoring for the same limited amount of desirable jobs. I value your time so I'm going to give you a tip that will optimize your experience. When people understand Why you are about, doors will open. Watch this from the perspective of other people understanding your Why.

Other Examples

In an ironic twist I use this example of a book written to help people with networking, become a better manager. I also include an example of how a manager can gain invaluable lessons from Penelope Trunk's book Brazen Careerist, a book written to help young adults enhance their careers.

The key to using the Law of Inversion to your advantage is to approach the lesson with an open mind. Like I crawled out of the bug and slime infested swamp of my management experience, step outside of your teacher, fireman or welder role and grab hold of a fresh perspective.

Escape The Island

If you're in an industry where your consultants or blog writers begin a sentence and you finish it, you need to get off the island. You need a fresh perspective. I had the honor of being around a young woman who, years ago, did just that. Angela Maiers, a teacher bent on improving literacy and learning, joined our online community that consisted mostly of managers, marketers and writers. Angela escaped her educational industry island and foraged on ours. What makes Angela so special is that she returned to her island and tried new stuff. The more she infused new life into the island, the less of an island it became.

Design Thinking

The example I'm about to give you might be the Mother-of-all-Inversion-possible. Quickly though, I'd like to let my friends at Fast Co. dispel any notions of Design Thinking being a fly-by-night business fad that escaped out the backdoor and into the night. It isn't. It's a mindset. It's a way of life. It isn't going anywhere.

The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Standford University, commonly known as the d.school, put together a bootcamp bootleg to instruct and support the process of design thinking. Prior to learning about the law of inversion one might think this document is for designers. You know, those who went to design school, those who design stuff and or those employed in the design profession. Whereas my examples above of the Law of Inversion are somewhat limiting, this document vaporizes the boundaries of possibility!

It simply doesn't matter what subject you consider or profession you're in. Open your mind, lock-n-load questions and peruse this document. An endless sea of ideas will pound upon the beaches of your mind. I printed off one copy to use for building Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness and will print off more copies for future projects.

If I were younger I'd pack my Law of Inversion and knock every single day on the d.school door until they gave me a job to sweep their floors or anything to be around this life altering program :-)

Are you a middle or high schooler? Maybe you found this article via an Internet search? Impact Fitness is about improving your strength, speed and agility. Denny and Biko are the owners and they stone cold know what they're doing. Go on over to their Facebook Page. You'll get it in a heartbeat. As for your parents, I need to lay it out here. (If I were them I might not get it like you either).

Are you the parent of a middle or high schooler? Are you looking to give your kids an edge in sports? Impact Fitness is about helping your kids to be stronger, faster and more agile. I did an Internet search on sports performance in Tampa and a lot of sites came up. How do you choose? How do you know who to entrust the most important people in your life to? I'll tell you about Impact Fitness. But first I'd like to tell you a story about myself...hang in there, it'll make sense I promise.

Following ten years in one industry I entered into a brand new profession. Within a month I knew this is what I wanted to do. So I went on a self-directed learning bender. I went overboard nuts trying to learn and make myself the best professional manager I could be. To be honest, my passion and curiosity increased over the years. That bender never ended. But it did cause a huge challenge for me.

The more I put into improving company operations and myself, the less I was around people who felt the same way. For upper management it was about that particular month's numbers and for most of those whom I managed it was just a job. I wanted our company totally tuned into our customers and I not only wanted to drive the best company, I wanted to drive innovation and be on the leading edge. And more than anything, I desperately wanted to be around people who felt the same way...more so than mere words can describe!

I became disabled in early 2009. I am convinced that it was due in part to my inability to surround myself with people who shared this insatiable passion to make them and those around them better (nuther long story:-). As I get older, I have less time and patience to be around people who do not feel this way. I'll even concede my over-the-top behavior, I just want to be around people who care about making themselves and those around them better. This is the filter I now look through when evaluating a business or person to do business with. It's not about what or how they're doing things; it's about why.

That's my story and it's why I am so excited about what Denny and Biko are doing. To begin with, they have the educational pedigree. Denny with a BS in exercise science and Biko a BS in business administration (one look at Biko though and you know he's a pure athlete). Their education did not stop there. They have that hunger to learn. So far you might say, "well I hope the coaches I entrust my kids to have this." You'd be surprised. The thing that sets these two gentlemen and their business apart is that they have an insatiable passion to make a positive influence on kids and young adults! This is the why of their business. It isn't just a living, a way to pay the bills. It's their way of life.

Aside from Denny and Biko, what I like best about their operation is its facility. It's hardcore and no nonsense. Your kids will not become a number there. There will be no posturing for position with members of the opposite sex either, although the lads train both young men and women. They will become stronger, faster and more agile while building a character that will anchor them on their life journey.

Finally, I have one other reason to recommend Impact Fitness. The results my wife Rosemary achieved while working with Denny. Although he has a dear and loving mother, if Rosemary had her way, she'd adopt the lad.

Contact Denny and Biko at Impact Fitness today for a free introductory workout. Btw, professional and collegiate athletes also train at Impact Fitness. And I'm proud to say that Candace Parker, a recent gold medal olympian along with her brother Anthony, are friends with the program. Checkout the Impact Fitness tee shirts in these pics, you're sure to see more and more of them around town.

Medium has been compared to Pinterest. Judging from the founders' intent, I think it's too early to say exactly what Medium is or isn't. That's so cool. They're using the ebb and flow of user feedback to build this new publishing platform.

Victoria, our oldest daughter, turned me onto Pinterest a while back. She was excited about the exposure and interest that it was generating for her This Girl's Gotta Eat! website. I saw Pinterest fitting a different need. I've been writing online since 1997. In the early years I had to write anonymously for fear I would be fired from my day job. Years later after revealing my identity, I continued to write about business, management and leadership while choosing to build a particular online image. I'll not go into details but it was very calculated and intentional and didn't reveal much personally. Although my topics changed, I continued to write in this manner until becoming disabled in 2009 and losing my job. Finally, I could just be myself online!

I began using Pinterest with the intention of revealing stuff about me that had never ever made the Internet. But Pinterest has this magically alluring characteristic that draws one in and then sends them down different paths. While I didn't get swept into the wedding planning frenzy (Pinterest's main audience is women), I did get outrageously addicted to women's tattoo's. I have other categories that don't reveal much about myself either like, Where Books Dwell, Sis's Artwork, House Organization etc. So now one can go to my Pinterest account and get a 80,000 foot snapshot of me, but other than my Essence board, I'm not quite satisfied with the self-portrait. When I finally realized that I'd drifted from my original intent, I chose not to change because I actually like what I'm doing at Pinterest. Thus, Medium...

"...my career is useless if it doesn't allow me to have the personal life I want. A career is what gives you the ability to try out what works in your life and figure out who you are and what you want."

Ms. Trunk has performed extensive research on the work/life/career relationships of Gen-Y, Gen-X, and the Baby Boomers. (She's also dialing into Gen-Z and what it will require of the workforce once it becomes of age). Penelope observes that people are no longer putting off life until retirement age. They are living a life of interestingness now and some have found companies that support this pursuit. In The New American Dream, she tells us what attributes to look for in these companies, what training will be of value to us and what characteristics define the modern day star worker.

Are you an owner and or manager? Are you concerned with the blazing rate of change in the business world around you? Do you find dealing with young people difficult? Do you agonize over finding good workers? Do you stay up late at night trying to figure out how to keep these irreplaceable people? Do you wonder how to separate and distance your company from the competition?

You could hire a pack of consultants. You could spend a couple of years pouring over help available online. You could spend a couple more years reading all the books and magazines on the subject of hiring and keeping people. Or you could read The New American Dream.

While Penelope Trunk lays out a blueprint for the individual to follow and achieve success, this same rendering, albeit from a different perspective, is a perfect, perfect prescription and cure for the owner-manager's case of find-n-keep-great-employee-itis!

Simply take Penelope's direction and invert it. For instance:

"Look for a company with people who love to learn." Build a love of learning culture in your company.

"Teamwork should be highly valued." Make sure teamwork is part of your culture.

Penelope recommends people to look for self-awareness and communication coaching in perspective companies.Provide it.

Ms. Trunk says to look for mentor, flex-time and entrepreneurial opportunities. As an owner-manager, what do you think you should do?

This isn't rocket science folks. These cultures, behaviours and programs are already working successfully. The problem for prospective employees is that beyond some of the Fortune One-Hundred best companies to work for, too few companies are emulating them. To me, this is a huge neon sign that screams opportunity! If I were an owner / manager I would embrace this mindset, differentiate my company and let those with little vision wallow in the mire of their own stagnation.

Here's another reason why The New American Dream is so appealing: At fifty-three pages, it's brief. It's the perfect elixir in just the right dose. If you can get better with one pill, why take ten?

The New American Dream is about the pursuit of interestingness instead of happiness. Penelope says, "you shouldn’t focus on happiness, but rather, on making your life interesting."

The New American Dream is fifty-three pages long and does not include case studies and in depth analysis. This bothers some people. Most of what is in the book can be found on her blog. This bothers some people. Penelope's work here is not revolutionary. You guessed it, this bothers some people. I'm really not interested in these complaints. While this criticism might be relevant to academicians steeped in the theoretics and or all of the following: sociology, social anthropology, ethnography, it most certainly is not relevant to people who are beating their brains out trying to work, live, achieve fulfillment and enjoy life.

To begin with, Penelope has been writing on her blog since 2001. I might pay someone fifteen bucks just to spend a couple of weeks wading through her material to find this stuff. Here's the thing, even if you were to find every blog post that points in this book's direction, you'll not be able to synthesize it and produce content similar to what's in her book. And therein lies Ms. Trunk's value.

Penelope Trunk has been writing and offering career advice since the late 1990's. Her expertise is in career advice and making sense out of workplace / career relevant trends in the Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, Gen-Yers and Gen-Zers (though most of the latter is yet to come). She truly has a God-given talent when it comes to pouring over the masses of data and coming up with observations and advice of value. Actually, Penelope didn't invent her interestingness theory/reality. It's already there. She merely culled the relevant behavior and experiences of each generation, but mostly Gen-Y, and wrote about her observations.

Along with establishing her interestingness basis in the book's intro, Penelope sets the stage by saying that a career allows one the ability to "...try out what works in your life and figure out who you are and what you want."

Chapter II - Redefine Your Relationship to Work

Old work ways are out. Saving and putting life off until retirement is out. Waiting until latter years to do good is out. This direction is similar to my own philosophy of, Oz is the Yellow Brick Road. Life is about what you do on the road, not at a destination.

Chapter III - Find the Right Job for You

Penelope lists attributes of desireable companies to work for and offers tips to optimize your job.

Chapter IV - Financial Freedom is a False Promise

Job promotions and fractional pay raises are out. Look for training and other opportunities that will make you of value to others.

Chapter V - Authenticity Will Get You What You Want

Includes more career advice and describes traits of today's irreplaceable worker.

Chapter VI - The Trick to Being a Life Long Learner

Penelope talks about unschooling, Gen-Z and life long learning.

Conclusion - Penelope discusses career uncertainity, its value and how to embrace it.

I highly recommend reading this book, especially if you're an explorer.

While Penelope's book is of value to those of us who are beating our brains out trying to work, live, achieve fulfillment and enjoy life, there is another segment in society that will find greater value in it. I'll tell you about them in my next post.

Hint: I reviewed Penelope's book Brazen Careerist five years ago. The spirit of my next post on The New American Dream is similar.

You've been a judge for the Miss America contest for thirty years. A person asks you, "Bob, you've been surrounded and engulfed by beautiful women for all these years. How does a woman stand out? How can you possibly choose a winner?"

Bob: "Well of course the women have to score high in the talent competition, private interview, on-stage question and the other categories. But just between you and me, I choose based upon the breath factor. Who leaves me the most winded? Who takes my breath away?"

Okay, switch topic to David, me, and the tens of thousands of books, magazine-n-newspaper articles and online content that I've read in my life. How do I separate talented and engaging authors?

Oooops, sorry to get you all lathered up with the Miss America stuff, but I'm trying to make a point here.

The same way as Bob.

Anya Kamenetz takes my breath away. I remember years ago, the first time she appeared in Fast Company. I thought, how in the world can someone so young write this well? Her talent at that stage reminds me of how well Lebron James played basketball in high school.

Today, Anya brings her talent to the field of education. Or to be correct, to the field of where education ought to be (and is) going. Her latest book is DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education. According to Anya DIY U means the expansion of education beyond classroom walls: free, open source, vocational, experiential, and self-directed learning. Her next project, due out this year, is The Edupunk’s Guide to a DIY Credential. k

I bought and am reading (one chapter left) DIY U because I am trying to learn how a person can take the helm of their own education and sail their ship into meaningful employment.

As it stands, I do not believe that K-16 and plus school is preparing students for what the workplace needs and is looking for. It's the driving force behind my Standing out in a Sea of Sameness Facebook page. I encourage kids beginning in their junior year of high school and through college, to seek out people in fields of interest. Sit down and ask them about their educational and work related pathways. Ask them about skills and educational requirements and then stay connected with them on their own journey.

After two months of educational reform research,* I need to tweak my own pathway. I am beginning to believe that one must start their own educational journey at the cradle (with the help of mom and dad). More to come on this in the future, but I am most grateful to Anya for her direction. She is a welcome light in the tempest of educational transformation.

The people who you recommend or link out to are relevant to your reputation. I discovered this video on Kevin Carroll's Web site Kevin Carroll Katalyst. Sir Ken Robinson talks about how our school system, which originated in the nineteenth century, is outdated and in need of change. He explains and illustrates that in kindergarten we are creative and that by high school creativity has been educated out of us. It truly is eleven minutes of pure fascination!

Here's the thing, by way of Sir Ken, it's my perception that Kevin feels the same way. Think about this when you recommend or link out to someone on your blog or Facebook.

Sir Ken's talk dovetails into the design thinking mindset within Standing out in a Sea of Sameness, especially starting at the 7:45 mark when he talks about divergent thinking and then goes on to discuss human capacity and collaboration.

Remember, the people you associate with are relevant to your reputation. And that's important whether or not your are a high school senior, college freshman, beginning that first job after college or beyond.